Personal – Summer Lovin’

June // Summer Lovin’: What do you love about the summer? Do you switch up your routine? What does summer mean to you?

Today is the first day of Summer. Am I allowed to hate summer? If I say that, will everyone throw eggs at me? Yes? *ducks* Ok, I think that died down a little.

Yeah. I’m not a big fan of summer. My poor pale body did not evolve to deal with the heat. I sweat more than anyone I know – if I make it to the office in the morning and the pit stains are less than an inch from the underarm, I’m doing pretty well. My hair frizzes up in the humidity, and I walk around from May through early October with a curly crown of hair framing my face. If I spend any amount of time outdoors, I need to make sure I’m wearing SPF 50+ and that I’m reapplying every 90 minutes or so. If I don’t, I will burn faster than anyone you know. It also doesn’t help if there are clouds – I have been known to burn on an overcast day, to burn in the shade from reflected light – you name it. I am not equipped to deal with the kind of weather that comes with this time of year.

There are some good things. I have a summer birthday, so halfway through the year I have a nice day to celebrate and be the center of attention. There are lots of fantastic summer movies that come out that are so much fun to watch. Summer usually means vacation, so I always look forward to some kind of adventure to visit someplace new, or else to catch up with friends. Amusement parks are open in the summer. There are more fun outdoor events (outdoor movies, concerts, etc.), so it’s hard to hate on the season when those fun things happen. You can eat dinner outside whether you make it yourself or at a restaurant patio. And of course, there’s lots of baseball happening.

But slowly, I think I’m turning a corner. Having a house with an outdoor area that is conducive to hot days makes it more appealing to be outside when it’s deadly hot. I’ve got more need to be outside with the constant weeding and attention that our little plot of garden requires. I like that the daylight lasts longer, and that there are more excuses to walk and go get ice cream – especially now that we’ve got a fantastic place within walking distance. I’ve seen a few places mention that you should put together a summer bucket list of fun things to do, and so I’ve done that, and am excited to start checking things off. I may never like the heat and the humidity, the increased likelihood of sunburn, and I don’t think I will ever call it my favorite season. But it seems that as my life gets fuller and happier, this season becomes less of one to slog through, and more one that I need to savor and enjoy.

Details: This post is part of Project Reverb 2016, which sends out monthly (and sometimes daily during a month-long challenge) writing prompts for bloggers. If you’re interested in participating, sign up here.